Shoppers at Woolworths Collie will begin to start seeing a number of environmental sustainability initiatives introduced over the next few months.
With single-use plastic bags being phased out from June 20, Woolworths has announced it will introduce a new reusable bag in-store.
Woolworths Collie store manager Bec Fitzpatrick said the new bags would come with a lifetime warranty.
“...When it gets damaged, we will replace it for free, no matter when you bought it from us. We’ll then recycle your old bag via the REDCycle program,” she said.
The money made from the sale of the bags will be used to fund the Woolworths Junior Landcare grants program, encouraging young Australians to play an active role in ensuring the sustainable future of their environment.
Landcare Australia chief executive Shane Norrish said the grants program would ‘help younger Australians to be more aware of environmental issues in their own backyard’.
“They will have the opportunity to have hands-on environmental education in the class and in the schoolyard, which will only help to better future generations,” he said.
“We look forward to seeing applications from schools in the local area when the next grant round is launched in a couple of months’ time.”
Plastic straws will also no longer be available for sale at Woolworths Collie by the end of the year, while the amount of plastic used in the packaging of fruit and vegetables will also be reduced.
“It has been well documented that plastic straws do significant harm to marine wildlife and this move will help reduce the impact of plastics on the marine environment,” Ms Fitzpatrick said.
“Across Australia and New Zealand this move will see us remove 134 million straws from circulation each year.”
